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Federal Funds Authorized To Fight Bosque Fire

Denton, TX -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized
the use of federal funds late last night to help New Mexico fight the
Bosque Fire* burning in Albuquerque.

When the fire management grant was authorized, the fire had left 16,000
people temporarily without electrical power, threatened 600 homes and
led to the evacuation of about 1,000 people. Firefighters from 10 local
departments, the State of New Mexico and two military units were tackling
the blaze.

"The state's request for federal fire management assistance was
approved in less than an hour," said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary
of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. "We
are keenly aware of the ongoing fire risk to New Mexico communities, and
we support the firefighters responding to this incident."

FEMA continues to work closely with state officials to monitor extremely
dry conditions in the state. Through the fire management grant, FEMA will
reimburse 75 percent of eligible state and local firefighting costs. The
Bosque Fire* is the second New Mexico Fire to be eligible for FEMA assistance
this year. The Walker Fire in Otero County was declared eligible for aid
on May 10.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the Department of Homeland Security.
FEMA's mission within DHS is to lead the effort to prepare the nation
for all hazards and to effectively manage the federal response and recovery
efforts for any national incident. To help meet this mission, FEMA oversees
the National Flood Insurance Program, the U.S. Fire Administration and
Citizen Corps.